Form clamp



ca. Q, GAE K; 2,126,251

FORM CLAMP Filed Feb. 8, 1937 jigi.

l1 (4 v M L z 6 6 1 5 z a! 4' 5 7 r g INVENTORTI 4 Patented Aug. 9, 1938I UNITED STATES FORM CLAMP George 0. Gaetke,

San Francisco, Calif.

Application February 8, 1937, Serial No. 124,647

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in form clamps of the typeemployed in the erection of forms for concrete walls.

In providing means for maintaining the op- 5 posed walls of concreteforms in suitable positions with respect to one another while and afterthe plastic concrete material is being poured, it is particularlyadvantageous to employ clamping or tying means which is not only capableof being quickly applied in a proper position to the opposed walls ofthe form, but which after application firmly holds the walls in fixedpredetermined positions with respect to each other. The presentinvention is intended to overcome many of the disadvantages of similardevices now commonly used: by providing a combined clamp and spacerwhich is capable of being readily adjusted to predetermined positions soas to maintain the form walls in suitably spaced positions with respectto one another in order that a concrete wall of uniform predeterminedthickness may be formed; by providing a form clamp which is capable ofbeing readily applied to the form upon which itis used; by providing adevice of the kind characterized which embodies slidable and adjustablespacers which may be easily set at predetermined positions so as toprovide a concrete wall of any desired thickness irrespective of thethickness of the studs, purlins or form walls; by providing a form clampin which the various parts may be tightened and assembled in acomparatively short period of time; by providing a combined clamp andspacer which secures the walls of the form in securely locked positionscapable of withstanding the vibratory action of mechanical vibrators andtampers ordinarily employed to efiect a denser condition within theplastic body of concrete material; and by providing a form clamp whichmay be disassembled and detached from the form and concrete wall withoutthe necessity of first dismantling the form.

Further objects of my invention will be pointed out hereinafter,indicated in the appended claims, or will be obvious to one skilled inthe art upon an understanding of the present disclosure. For thepurposes of this application I have elected to show herein certain formsand details of a form clamp representative of my invention; it is to beunderstood, however, that the embodiment of my invention shown anddescribed herein is for the purpose of illustration only, and thattherefore it is not to be regarded as exhaustive of the variations ofthe invention, nor is it tobe given an interpretation such as might havethe cffect of limiting the claims short of the true and mostcomprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a form clamp embody- 5 ing my invention,showing certain parts in section;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on theline 22 of Fig. 1, showing one ofthe spacers in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one of the spacers taken on the line 33 ofFig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a modified form of nut and washer capable of use when one ofthe form walls is to be held in an inclined position.

Referring to the drawing, the numerals l, I designate two waler rodswhich are internally threaded at their inwardly disposed ends so as toprovide suitable means for detachably securing them to a threaded studon rod 2. The inner portion of each of the waler rods which ordinarilyextends into the space within the form normally occupied by the concretematerial, is gradually tapered as at 3 to permit the rods convenientremoval from the concrete wall within which it is imbedded after theplastic concrete becomes hardened. Each of the waler rods is made up ofan inner smooth tapered section 3, a middle section d and an outwardlydisposed threaded section 5. The middle section 4 of each waler rod isprovided with one or more suitably shaped pairs of slots or grooves 4which permit the convenient mounting of a slidable spacer element 6 onthe said rod. Each spacer element 6 is formed with a disc-like end 1 anda slotted hub 8, the slot of each hub being slightly wider than thediameter of the section 4. An axial bore extending through the disc-likeend I and the hub 8 is of sufficient size to slidably accommodate themiddle section 4 of a rod I. The disclike end 1 of the spacer element isprovided with a radially disposed slot 9 which is aligned with the slotof the hub and is of less width than the diameter of the axial bore, butslightly larger than the width of the section 4 of the rod at 45 pointslocated between the oppositely disposed slots 4. Thus the spacer element6 may be slipped upon a rod I by passing the opposite sides of theradialslot 9 through the oppositely disposed slots 4' and then sliding thesaid spacer 50 element to a position where the said rod becomespositioned in and fills the axial bore. Screwably extending through oneside of the hub 8 and into its axial bore is a set screw I0 whichfacilitates the securing of the spacer element 6 in any suitableposition on the rod l. The middle sections 4 of the rods are providedwith a number of similar calibrations or marks I l which, together withthe inwardly disposed ends of the hubs 8 or spacer elements 6, providemeans for predetermining the distance between the oppositely disposedinner faces of the concrete form and thereby permitting the setting ofthe clamp so the form walls are held at the proper distance from oneanother to provide a concrete wall of prede- I termined thickness.

The concrete form within which the plastic concrete material forming theconcrete wall is poured ordinarily comprises oppositely disposed andspaced form walls l2, studs l3 and purlins M.

The outwardly disposed section 5 of each rod I is provided with largethreads which permit a clamping or look nut l5 screwably mounted thereonto be quickly screwed into engagement with a purlin l4 when the clampsare installed. Each nut !5 is preferably provided at its inner end witha circular flange I5 which is in the nature of a washer and facilitatesthe rapid assembly of the unit. The outwardly disposed ends of the rodsare squared so as to permit a suitable wrench or tool to be applied forthe purpose of detaching the inwardly disposed tapered end 3 of the rodfrom the concrete wall.

The clamps may be previously set or adjusted for any desired thicknessof concrete wall by first locating the spacer elements 6 at the propercalibrations II. The stud 2 is then screwed into one of the rods I, andthe latter is then placed in position at one side of the form bybringing its attached spacer element 6 against the inner face of apurlin I 4; thereafter the attached clamping nut 15 is screwed againstthe outer face of the said purlin. From the opposite side of theconcrete form the other rod I is then suitably positioned so its end maybe screwed onto the stud 2 and to a point Where the ends of the two rodsI engage with one another. The spacer element 6 on the last mentionedrod I, if not already set at the proper corresponding calibration II, isso set, after which the said spacer element is brought into engagementwith the inner face of the purlin M of the last mentioned side of theform. The clamping nut l5 upon being screwed against the outer face ofthe last mentioned purlin, completesthe securing of the two sides of theform in fixed positions with respect to one another and in suchpositions that a concrete wall of predetermined thickness may be formed.The form clamps above described are set at suitable intervals along aconcrete form in the usual manner.

In the form shown in Fig. 4 a wedge-shaped washer l 6 is loosely mountedon the threaded end 5 of a waler rod. The washer l6 has an inner facedisposed in an inclined plane which corresponds to the angle at whichone side of a concrete form is to be positioned. The outer side of theWasher I6 is provided with a concave seat which accommodates thespherical inner end of a locking nut H, the latter being screwed ontothe rod. A holding pin l8 serves to hold the nut l1 and the washer I 6together so they may be readily applied to the rod.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a form clamp, aplurality of joined tension rods each having one ormore pairs of opposed slots, a spacer element detachably mounted on eachtension rod, the said spacer elements each having a flanged end portionand a hub portion, also an axial bore within which its associatedtension rod slidably fits and also aligned slots in the flanged end andin the hub which the slotted portion of the rod and its adjacent partrespectively pass through when the spacer element is attached to ordetached from the rod, the said slot in the flanged end being narrowerthan the diameter of the said bore; means associated with each spacerelement for securing it to its respective tension rod, and lock nuts onthe free ends of the rods.

2. In a form clamp, a plurality of joined tension rods each having athreaded end section upon which is screwed a lock nut for securing theclamp to a concrete form, the said tension rods each having one or morepairs of opposed slots, a spacer element detachably mounted on each rodand adapted to engage with the concrete form, the said spacer elementseach having a flanged end for engaging with the form and a hub portion,also an axial bore within which its associated tension rod slidably fitsand also aligned slots in the flanged end and in the hub which theslotted portion of the rod and its adjacent part respectively passthrough when the spacer element is attached or detached from the rod,the said slot in the flanged end being narrower than the diameter of thesaid bore and means associated with each spacer element for securing itto its respective tension rod.

3. In a form clamp, a plurality of joined tension rods each having anoutwardly disposed threaded section, a middle section and an innertapered section, a lock nut screwed on each threaded section forengaging with a concrete form, and a removable spacer element adjustablysecured to the middle section of each rod for also engaging with thesaid form, each spacer element having a hub and an axial bore withinwhich its associated tension rod is normally positioned and each spacerelement having a slot in its side and in its hub which joins the axialbore, the said slot being of sufiicient size so the tension rod may passtherethrough but narrower than the diameter of the axial bore, wherebythe said spacerelement may be attached and detached from its associatedtension rod and means associated with each spacer element for securingit to its respective tension rod.

4. In a form clamp, a plurality of joined tension rods each having anoutwardly disposed threaded section, a middle section and an inwardlydisposed tapered section, a lock nut screwed on each threaded sectionfor engaging with a side of a frame member of a concrete form, and aspaced element adjustably and removably mounted on the middle section ofeach tension rod for engaging with the opposite side of the framemember, the spacer elements each having a hub provided with an axialbore through which its associated tension rod slidably extends, and eachspacer element having a slot in its side and in its hub which joins theaxial bore, the said slot in the spacer element being narrower than thediameter of the bore and of sufiicient size to permit the slipping ofthe said element on its associated rod, and means on the hub forsecuring its associated spacer element to a tension rod.

GEORGE O. GAETKE.

